Season 3: Rebuilding

3x07: Reiteration

Synopsis for Episode 7: Oliver suspects Jane Deleon is keeping something from him and decides to figure out the truth. Meanwhile, Dick takes Felicity along for a mission. Everything takes a turn for the worse, however, when Sara and Nyssa return to Starling City with news of Slade's escape. Can disaster be averted before the worst comes to past?

---

3x07: Reiteration

Oliver leaned back in his seat as he waited for the rest of the board to clear out of the boardroom after the meeting this morning. His eyes inconspicuously trailed the men and women who walked out of the room in a single line, talking among themselves. Several of them threw him a nod or a bright grin, encouraged to see him take a seat on the board once more.

He'd expected some drama about his return to QC, but so far he seemed to have most of their trust. Of course, he knew that trust was only skin deep. They trusted him because he held no real power, and therefor could not screw up the company a second time. Most of them seemed to believe he deserved a clean slate with QC, but none seemed to think his path to the top would be seamless and swift, if at all possible. Perhaps they would prefer if he remained in the periphery. Evidently, Oliver wasn't the only one aware of the immense work that lay ahead of him.

On the opposing end, too, stood Simon Cross and his followers. The rest of the board would not dare go against the CEO as long as the majority ownership of the company remained shrouded with uncertainty. He needed to learn the identity of the fifth owner. Oliver had been relieved to find Simon Cross absent at the meeting. Jane had informed him that the CEO had extended his business trip to oversee the Russian subsidiary and left her in charge.

Oliver's gaze flew over to the blonde at the head of the table, where she was humming to herself and going through her notes for the meeting. Power evidently seemed to fit her like a glove.

As he beheld her, Oliver couldn't help the gnawing sensation that entered his mind. For all intents and purposes, Jane Deleon held a certain similarity to another strong woman he'd helped reach the top of the food chain. Only Isabel Rochev had turned on him in the end and stabbed him viciously in the back. That misplaced trust had lost him QC.

In retrospect, there were signs he should have seen regarding Isabel. Such as her power mongering and cold demeanor. He couldn't quite shake the sensation that Jane would turn out to be just like Isabel. He saw no evident reason - though she insisted on it being out of kindness - for her to help him in this fashion. She could have lent him money, or introduced herself sooner as a player instead of flying half way across the world on a moment's notice. Was it possible he was making the same mistake again? Was he never to learn from his past?

When she'd come to his apartment the previous week, asking them to be friends, he had believed her. Oliver had believed the request was heartfelt and genuine, a cry for help almost. Since then they'd shared a few coffees and reminisced over old memories, and still nothing had felt amiss. In fact, it had felt almost too correct. Oliver couldn't describe the feeling, but he knew he was missing a vital piece to the puzzle. There was something in her manner that suggested she was holding something back, like a sentence at the tip of her tongue that was never given voice. Despite everything, he was no closer to understanding this enigma, but was more certain than ever that he couldn't trust her until she voiced the truth.

As he saw Jane collect her papers at last, Oliver rose from his chair languidly. "A minute, Jane?"

The blonde glanced down at her wrist watch as she stepped towards him, her heels clicking against the cold floor almost rhythmically. "You can have two."

Oliver raised the file he'd brought with him and held it out for the woman. Her pale eyes danced across the manila file as she took it and opened it for inspection.